CoCoRaHS

CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Historic storm slams Hawaii

Hawaii has not exactly been the tropical paradise it's known for over the past several days.

A rare tornado with very large hail struck Lanikai and Enchanted Lakes. See the public information statement for the National Weather Service below.

Hail was up to 3 inches in diameter, something very rare for this part of the world.

...EF-0 TORNADO STRIKES LANIKAI AND ENCHANTED LAKES...
BACKGROUND...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN HONOLULU DISPATCHED A
DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM TO INVESTIGATE A STRING OF WIND RELATED DAMAGE
FROM THE ENCHANTED LAKES AREA OF KAILUA TO LANIKAI ON THE ISLAND
OF OAHU. THE SURVEY TEAM INSPECTED THE WIND RELATED DAMAGE AND
INTERVIEWED HOMEOWNERS AND OTHER EYEWITNESSES AND SOUGHT TO
DETERMINE WHETHER THE DAMAGE WAS RELATED TO A TORNADO OR STRAIGHT
LINE WINDS.
FINDINGS...
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS...PHOTO AND VIDEO EVIDENCE...AND DAMAGE
PATTERNS INDICATED THAT A WATERSPOUT VERY LIKELY MOVED ASHORE IN
LANIKAI AND TRAVELED INLAND BEFORE DISSIPATING IN THE ENCHANTED
LAKES SUBDIVISIONH. UPON MOVING ASHORE...THE WATERSPOUT BECOMES
CLASSIFIED AS A TORNADO. THUS...THE DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM HAS
DETERMINED A TORNADO FORMED AND TRACKED BETWEEN LANIKAI AND
ENCHANTED LAKES. THE CIRCULATION VERY LIKELY LIFTED AND THEN
RETURNED TO THE SURFACE AS IT TRAVERSED AN AREA OF HIGHER TERRAIN
BETWEEN LANIKAI AND THE ENCHANTED LAKES AREA...AND PERHAPS LATER
IN THE ENCHANTED LAKES SUBDIVISION.
TORNADO STATISTICS...
STRENGTH...EF-0 WITH WIND SPEEDS OF 60-70 MPH
AVERAGE WIDTH...20 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...1.5 MILES

The region also experienced several days of VERY heavy rain, with some locations